A model of collaborative excellence
Nestled in the Himalayas, Bhutan is a nation facing a delicate challenge: how to modernise its education system without eroding the traditions that define its identity. In 2025, Cambridge entered into a landmark agreement with the government of Bhutan, to support comprehensive educational reform, while safeguarding the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Our work in Bhutan exemplifies our distinctive, tailored approach to educational transformation and reform, weaving into existing systems rather than imposing external solutions, and balancing international standards with a deep respect for local context and culture.
The partnership will benefit between 15,000–20,000 learners across Bhutan, including children in remote areas where resources are scarce and schools are challenging to access.
“What unites us is a shared belief in the future of Bhutan and its potential to make a meaningful contribution on the global stage. The team feels like a close collaborator.”
Preeti Hingorani, Partnership for Education
Foundations built from the ground up
The project began when our South Asia team identified a meaningful opportunity to work with Bhutan’s Ministry of Education and Skills Development, and a thorough system analysis followed. For two weeks, Cambridge teams travelled across Bhutan to witness in person the realities that shape learning in Bhutan. They visited schools in both busy urban centres and remote mountain villages, and spoke with teachers, principals, curriculum teams and regional education leads, listening closely to stories from the classroom and challenges on the ground.
This comprehensive, on-the-ground approach meant that when we developed our proposal to help Bhutan achieve international standards of education, it was grounded in lived experience rather than assumptions. We didn’t just study the system – we walked through it.
Cultural sensitivity and respect
Our approach carefully balanced international standards with Bhutan’s unique cultural identity. Preserving cultural heritage is a national priority for Bhutan, and our proposed reforms therefore embraced Bhutan’s commitment to embedding mindfulness and its ‘gross national happiness’ principles in its approach.
Like many small nations, Bhutan also has a ‘brain drain’ challenge, so our work had to support the nation’s goal of creating an environment where talented people want to stay.
Building trust in Cambridge through teacher immersion
We wanted teachers to experience international education first-hand, so a key success factor in developing the partnership was the teacher immersion programme, which brought Bhutanese educators to Cambridge schools in India. This experience allowed teachers to gain direct experience of the teaching methods and learning cultures of international schools. These teachers returned to Bhutan not just informed, but inspired, becoming advocates for change and fostering readiness for implementation within the teaching community.
A five-year transformation
The Cambridge-Bhutan partnership spans five years, with the first two years focused on reform and capability-building and the following three years dedicated to implementation and auditing.
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2025